Below you will find a historical overview of the major Gunmakers. It is intended
as a overview of the key facts about the Gunmakers and the history of gun making.
With thanks to Jan Roosenburg - Managing Director of the Holland & Holland New York
office from 1991 to 2002 - for his great contribution to the text of this historical
overview. Jan Roosenburg is co-author of the book "The Best of Holland & Holland,
England's Premier gunmaker."

England has a rich history in weapons and making weapons. If we look specifically
at the shotguns. From about 1860 we see the emergence of shooting in England, and
especially the driven shoots. The book ´The Big Shots´by Jonathan Ruffer gives a
good impression of the development of hunting in England at that time. The technical
development of shotguns increases after 1880 caused by the discovery of smokeless
gunpowder. The larger shootings introduce to shoot with a "pair" with the assistance
of a "loader". Therefore gunsmits made guns which had an outstanding balance and
technically operate optimally even after hundreds of thousands of shots. This resulted
in the "Best London Gun". Gunsmiths as Purdey, Holland & Holland and Boss also belong
today to the top of the London gun makers and their guns are in great demand all
over the world.

Below you find a brief historical overview of every important Gunmaker. Before we
go into the creators of so-called modern hammerless rifles, first a word about Joseph
Manton. This was a farmer's son, born in 1766 in Lincolnshire. He probably worked
as an apprentice at Edward Newton Grantham, of whom nothing is known except that
he teached Joseph Manton and other famous London 'gun makers of that time as John
Twigg, Robert Wogdon and Joseph brothers John Manton the art of gun making. Joseph
Manton was the "father" of the London gun industry, and has introduced famous makers
such as James Purdey, Boss Thomas, William Greener, Charles Lancaster and Joseph
Lang. "But for him we should all have been a parcel or blacksmith" stated James Purdey.
Joseph Manton died in 1835 in poverty, being in prison because of all debts. His
friend Col. Peter Hawker did make his tombstone with the inscription "The greatest
artist in firearms that the world ever produced." The tomb is on Kensall Green, across
the factory of Holland & Holland. In the nineties, it completely dilapidated tomb
was restored at the expense of Holland & Holland, though the company has never had
a connection with Joseph Manton.

In the world of guns, Boss, Purdey and Holland & Holland are the top three. The most
attractive and new and second hand guns have the highest prices for guns in London.
This does not mean that they are much better, it is probably mainly due to the fact
that the three survived the troubled times of 1950 to 1970. They continued to make
guns and still do. Below however you also will find the history of other gun makers
that contributed to the great reputation of London and English gunmakers.

Clicking on the gunmaker below takes you directly to the history of the relevant
gunmaker.

As with so many gun makers, the father of Henry worked in the same profession. He
was actioner at James Purdey. In 1848, the young Henry was appointed as an apprentice
to his father. This lasted generally five years, after which an exam was taken of,
if deemed good enough, the pupil was permanently employed and step-by-step allowed
to make guns for customers. In 1875 Henry’s rifles were built under his own name.
Two years later he opened a shop. He graved on all its guns "from Purdey's," where
his former employer objected to by court. But it was the truth, the process was lost
and the Atkin guns always remained graved with ‘from Purdey’s’. The so-called self-opening
action which Purdey had purchased from Frederick Beesley was copied as well, but
with an improvement in the ejection system, known as the Model 1909 Henry Atkin.
In 1960 the company merged with Grant & Lang and continued as Atkin, Grant & Lang.

Henry Atkin from Purdey

BOSS & CO.

Thomas Boss was the son of William, a gunsmith who worked first in Birmingham and
moved to London where he joined Joseph Manton. In 1812, Thomas went to work for himself.
First purely commercially by manufacturing components for other gun makers, but later
he settled at 73 St. James Street and started a store with guns under his own name.
Thomas died in 1857, and the business was continued by his widow, in the first years
with Stephen Grant as manager. It was claimed that these two had more than a business
relationship. Later the company was run by John Robertson, which took over in 1891
from the Boss family. Boss claimed that they were "Builders of Best Guns Only", which
was often engraved on the guns. It therefore had a relatively small production. Later
they sold quite a simple gun under the name Robertson, made in Birmingham. In 1894
Boss came out with their acclaimed single trigger, and in 1909 with the revolutionary
Over & Under, which a closing device that now a days can be found on every modern
Italian Over & Under. At the beginning of this century the Robertson family sold
the company. The company has had a few different owners and struggled. But now they
make a few guns again of very high quality in a small factory outside London.

Typical Boss Over & Under

E.J. CHURCHILL

Edwin John Churchill began as an apprentice to a provincial gunsmith, after which
he moved to London and joined FT Baker. In 1891 he opened his own company, specializing
in making guns for shooting pigeons, something he was very good at. His guns were
much liked by professional pigeon shooters. After his death in 1910 the company was
taken over by his nephew Robert "Bob" Churchill. Bob was also a familiar gunmaker
and a good seller. He developed a theory that short barrels were better and came
out with the famous Churchill XXV rifle with 25 inch long (short) barrels. He wrote
a number of books about this short barrels and explained why these were so good.
He opened a shooting school and built the guns in boxlock as well as side lock. It
was a huge success in the thirty’s, and other gun makers were forced to come out
with shorter barrels as well. In 1964 the company merged with Atking, Grant & Lang.
But production was stopped in 1980. In 1996 a consortium bought the name, and are
now selling guns again under the name of Churchill. Although good quality, current
rifles are made in Spain and Italy, and have no Churchill characteristics.

Churchill XXV inlaid in gold

JOHN DICKSON & SON

This is one of the most famous Scottish gun makers. There used to be many Scottish,
such as McNaughton, Alex Martin, Mortimer & Harkom, Daniel Fraser and Alex Henry,
the lattest famous for the military Martini-Henry rifle. Right now David McKay Brown
makes rifles in Scotland, as well as Dickson. In 1840 John Dickson opened his shop
on Princes Street in Edinburgh, by James Wallace after having learned the trade.
In 1880 Dickson applied for a patent for the so-called Round Action, which has built
the trigger group on the trigger plate. This design still got three more patents
and was developed from around 1890 and the company builds these guns still. Dickson
loved experimenting and made some guns with three barrels side by side, and in 1888
an Over & Under that opens sideways, a forerunner of the Belgian Britte. The last
Dickson owner died in 1923 and the firm regularly passed into other hands, until
in 1999 the American owners of MacNaughton bought the company. It is still located
at 21 Frederick Street in Edeinburgh and makes small number Round Action rifles and
the MacNaughten round action with a very elegant bar-in-wood design. Dickson had
many famous clients, including the well-known poet and writer Lord Byron who made
a pair dueleer pistols by Dickson, John Buchan, who was later popularized as "John
MacNab" had a few round action rifles, while Queen Victoria her London's gun makers
who held the Royal Warrant in the lurch and a rifle bullet for her beloved Scottish
then to John Brown ordered by Dickson. The most famous customer was, however, a certain
Charles Gordon, who bought more than 300 guns in Dickson between 1875 and 1906. The
vast majority were fashioned front loaders and never fired. Unfortunately, Gordon
went bankrupt in this hobby, which was a considerable loss for Dickson.

John Dickson Round Action MacNaughton Bar
in Wood

WILLIAM EVANS

William Evans learned the profession by James Purdey & and at Holland & Holland.
In 1883 he decided that he learned enough and started his own company, first in Pimlico
but already in 1888 he moved to Mayfair, ultimately at the address 63 Pall Mall.
He specialized in supplying guns to officers, especially the Guards regiments, which
was extremely popular before they left for the colonies. It also helped that his
store was around the corner of the well-known clubs such as White's and Boodle's
and across from The Atheneum. In the Second World War in 1944 a bomb fell on Pall
Mall, which the store damaged badly. Fortunately, the staff managed to save the order
books of the factory and the customers, and they are still used for the history of
their built rifles. There was a move to 67 St. James's Street, where the company
is still located. There are still a small number of new rifles made, and there is
a good Gunroom with used guns in the basement and a large selection of clothing and
related matters on the ground floor.

A nice restored William Evans gun

STEPHEN GRANT

Grant was born in Ireland and began his career at William Cavanagh in Dublin. He
moved to London, where he was hired by Charles Lancaster and later by Thomas Boss.
After his death, he was for 10 years the Manager at Boss for the widow of Thomas,
which he also seemed to have a romantic bond. After ten years, however, he gave it
up and started his own business. Already at Boss he built weapons with a so-called
side liver. His guns were later known for it and the special shaped bascule as well.
Grant made particularly elegant guns of the highest quality. He received the Royal
Warrant from the Prince of Wales, Kingin Victoria, the Czar of Russia and the Sultan
of Turkey. In 1925 the company merged with Joseph Lang & Sons and was Grant & Lang.
In the 30´s were among others Harrison & Hussey, Watson Bros., Frederick Beesley
and Charles Lancaster took over. There were some cal. 12 guns built by the name of
Stephen Grant, based on the 12/20 basically designed by Lancaster. Later Henry Atkin
joined and the company was named Atkin, Grant & Lang. In 1964 EJ Churchill merged
and the name became Churchill, Atkin, Grant & Lang. Most of the names acquired have
been sold again and the company is now Atkin, Grant & Lang again. It´s located outside
London. There are some new guns built every year by various gunssmits but refurbishing
old Grant's and Atkins is the main business.

Stephen Grant with side lever and special bascule

W.W. GREENER

William Greener began his career as a gunsmith apprenticed to John Gardner in Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
in the far north of England. After his period as a student he went to work in London
with Joseph Manton. In 1829 William returned to Newcastle and started his own company.
However, he had difficulty getting the right materials supplied in 1844 and moved
to the center of gun making in England, the city of Birmingham, where the company
is still active. William was also a great inventor and developed a large number of
patents for diverse inventions such as a lifeboat which rolled itself up again, a
new lamp for use in underground mines, an upgraded railway crossing, etc. But in
his heart he was a gunsmith and high quality of his rifles earned him well-known
clients such as Queen Victoria and her husband Albert. William also wrote several
books about guns.

After his death in 1869 the company was taken over by his second son, WW Greener.
He improved the choke system as we know it now and developed the crossbar, called
Greener cross bolt, which is still used in many guns. With this, he had an extremely
reliable and sturdy rifle, which was used by many famous archers in the field and
at competitions. Around 1900 Greener had about 450 men in service and was the greatest
gunsmith in England. His book, The Gun and it's development in 1881 is still a classical.
Slowly production was less and the company was sold in 1965 by the family. In 1985,
however, the grandson of W.W. bought Greener holding back, along with several partners,
including the gun makers Dryhurst David and Richard Tandy. The Greener name is again
synonymous with the highest quality guns, although the production numbers are small.

New Greener, the St. George

HOLLAND & HOLLAND

Harris Holland was an organ builder in London and added later also a wholesale of
tobacco. He had a grouse moor in Yorkshire where he drove with his friends and was
also a known gun in pigeon competitions around the capital. He was persuaded to go
to make guns and the first came out in 1835. It is virtually unique in the world
of gun makers that a new business successfully set up by someone who has not learned
the trade under another. Harris did not have its own factory to around 1850 and built
the guns to his design commercially. The company wast made as H. Holland and the
store was located at 9 King Street in London. In 1860 comes his nephew Henry Holland
in doctrine and moved the shop at 98 Bond Street, where it will remain for more than
120 years. In 1867 Henry Holland is full gunsmith and absorbed by his uncle as a
partner, although it will take until 1894 before he procuration gets to draw a check,
notwithstanding that Uncle Harris is officially retired in 1876 and the name was
changed to Holland & Holland. During Henry Holland a period many important patents
follows, including for the self-tensioning, ejectors, improved safety, assisted opening,
open sidelocks and many bullet calibers, including .375 H & H, .300 H & H, .500 /
450, .500 / 465 and .240 H & H. H & H in 1885 bought the patent from Col. Fossbery
to insert gun barrel grooves at the end of a barrel to shoot bullets, that created
the famous model Paradox. 1883 was an important year, when all firearms competitions,
organized by the magazine The Field, were won by Holland & Holland, despite the participation
of all other major gun makers. The boss in the factory, Mr. Froome, was clearly a
very skilled shooter! In 1896 Harris died and his shares passed to cousin Henry.
In 1898 the factory building in the Harrow Road near Paddington Station in London
commissioned, where the factory is still located. In 1913 the first school shooting
was opened, some others such as Boss and Churchill imitation followed. In 1930, 40
ha. land purchased in Northwood, where the shooting school was opened, which is still
very active. To meet the competition of the Churchill XXV, H & H came in 1928 with
the model "Brevis" with 26.5 inch running. This is the Latin word for short. Later
the Brevis Room built in the shop where the collection will be exhibited. This is
an amusing pun on the famous Long Room Purdey. Henry Holland retired in 1930 and
his son. Col. Jack Holland took over the lead. In the early Sixties, the company
merged with Westley Richards (Agency) and the management was conducted by Malcolm
Lyell. This is in very difficult times kept the company going well in India and Africa
to purchase large collections of Maharajah's and Ministers and these guns in the
UK and the USA to make the man. Malcolm was also the mastermind behind a series of
special guns, called Products of Excellence, which came into vogue special engravings,
still of great importance for the financial health of gun makers.The company still
thrives and is now based in Bruton Street in Mayfair and owned by Mr. Wertheimer.
It is the only gunsmith that makes all parts of each gun in house and makes more
shotguns than any other London gunsmith, while the production of double-barreled
rifles probably is bigger than all competitors combined

A .700 rifle. This is the largest caliber sporting rifle in the world.

An example of the famous Royal, copied all over the world.

CHARLES LANCASTER

Also a product of the highly productive kitchen of Joseph Manton, that became independent
in 1826 at 151 New Bond Street, in central London. He stood in his time known as
the best barrel maker, and he did this for a number of colleagues, including James
Purdey. In 1847, after his death, the company was taken over by his two sons, Charles
and Henry. The latter, however, should not have a lot of building guns and left the
company a few years later to deal with something completely different. In 1868 Charles
Ellen Thorne, whose younger brother Henry married in 1870 started working as an apprentice.
Charles died suddenly of a stroke in 1878, and Henry Thorne took over the lead but
the name remained unchanged. Both Charles Lancaster, but especially Henry Thorne,
developed many new ideas. One of the best known of these was a bullet course which
was slightly oval rather than round. This allows the projectile left running the
course, with no grooves had to be made. Charles built a cannon on this principle
and proved to the English army that actually worked. It was later developed by Henry
Thorne, and marketed under the name "The ColIndian Gun", especially sales to travelers
to exotic destinations in India and Africa. Thorn also developed a four-barreled
pistol that was extremely popular among officers, and four barrel shotgun. The last
famous invention was the so-called twelve / twenty model shotgun. This is a 12-bore,
which by reducing the weight in the slots so far back as possible, the feel of a
jig 20, but still has the weight of a 12 and thereby normal recoil. Among the clients
of Charles Lancaster heard the Czar of Russia and the Prince of Wales, as well as
Annie Oakley had a few Lancasters, which they hunted grouse with in England and were
very skillfull.

A Lancaster with four barrels

JOSEPH LANG

Joseph Lang began as an independent gunmaker in 1821, after also having been apprenticed
to Manton. At first he sold guns which he took from his contemporary and friend from
the Manton years, James Purdey. He was very inventive, and took out a patent on the
manufacture of patterns for front loaders, which meant a great improvement for the
hunters. When he was in 1851 at the Great Exhibition in London saw the rifle of the
French maker Lefaucheaux, which was built with so-called pinfire patterns that the
gun could be loaded in the action, he was convinced that this was the future. Joseph
Lang is undoubtedly the English gunsmith who has done the most work to develop and
popularize in England the type of breaking gun. Lang is also well known for the caliber
.470 Nitro Express, which is still widely used for big game hunting in Africa. The
company was later merged with Stephen Grant, and is currently known as Atkin, Grant
& Lang.

Een singel barrel firegun by Joseph Lang for the Indian Market.

A pair Joseph Lang

JAMES PURDEY & SONS

The most famous of the English gun makers probably Purdey, a big name in the world
of luxury products. The famile is originally from the east of Scotland. The first
was a blacksmith James not far from the Tower of London. Probably he made barrels.
In 1784 the next James was born who was apprenticed to his older brother Thomas Hutchinson,
gunsmith in London. After teaching for seven years, he joined the famed Joseph Manton,
where he already reached the position in three years by head butts maker.

In 1810 he left Manton however, to work for four years as a stock maker at Dr. Forsyth,
a famous gunmaker located at Piccadily. In 1814 he took a big step and opened his
own small shop at No. 4 Princes Street, where he made rifles and pistols and hammerguns.
Unfortunately, the books of the first four years were lost, but since 1818 can be
found all books by Purdey, with notes written on bad payers the name. Not only is
he sold his own, best quality, rifles and pistols, as well as accessories, gunpowder
and accessories, swords, daggers, razors and fine cigars. For fans were even living
sparrows sold, probably to practice on! A kind of supermarket for hunters. He was
soon discovered by the highest class of London and had his success looking for larger
premises. He moved in 1826 to 314 ½ Oxford Street, where he had worked previously
been for Joseph Manton. Except aristocrats and princes he also supplied to other
celebrities. Charles Darwin departed with a pair of Purdey guns for his voyage on
the Beagle. In 1838, he also Queen Victoria under his patronage count after ordering
a pair of pistols as gifts to the Sultan of Muscat. In 1868 Purdey the Royal Warrant
from the Prince of Wales and ten years later followed acquired the appointment as
purveyor of Queen Victoria. Purdey may be the only gunsmith boast that they always
from that date an appointment as purveyor of the reigning monarch have received.
James the elder stopped working in 1868 and was succeeded by the next James. In 1880
the company moved to the corner of Audley Street and Mount Street in Mayfair, to
a building that was constructed for this special. Purdey is still located here. Was
originally part of the plant below the store, but soon the production went to another
place because James Purdey wanted no noise in his store, while the family lived above
the shop. The succession in the Purdey family continued to go well, Athol son took
over the company in 1900 from James and his sons Tom and Jim followed him in 1929.
However, there was already a fairly large package of shares changed hands, and in
1946 it is whole company owned by the Seeley family, particularly Lord Sherwood.
His nephew Richard Beaumont began working at Purdey and became Chairman in 1971.
Under his leadership, the company was also selling clothes and accessories. In 1994
the company was acquired by the Richemont group, a big name in luxury items. Returning
to the old Purdey who had early recognized the benefits of the "breech loader" and
took an active part in the development. In 1880 they bought the patent of Frederick
Beesley, who had worked for Purdey, the self-opening mechanism, which is still applied.
It works fine, but it makes closing the gun serious, because unlike with the Holland
& Holland, the Purdey is stretched at closing. The most important acquisition in
the long existence of Purdey's probably buying James Woodward in 1949 for 444 Pound.
Thus they got the design of the highly successful Over & Under, vital in the US market.

A Purdey with typical Rose&Scroll graving

WESTLEY RICHARDS

Westley Richards was founded independently in 1812 in Birmingham, making it the oldest
extant gunsmith in Great Britanie. He made excellent quality rifles and pistols,
but the key to his success was the decision to appoint an agent in London. This was
William Bishop, which had a shop at 170 New Bond Street, and generally enjoyed fame
as "the Bishop of Bond Street".

Richards rifles were widely wanted and was used by Prince Albert, but also by the
Shah Persie. A particularly important contribution was made in the development of
double-barreled rifles by two employees of Westley Richards, William John Anson and
Deeley. This built an ejector system for boxlock rifles still used by almost everyone,
the Anson & Deeley system. In 1897 the so-called "drop lock" was introduced. This
was in fact accidentally, because one of the workers in the factory was annoyed at
all the pins that were visible in the boxlock action. He developed a system in which
the working parts of the lock have been constructed on two steel sheets that are
held in place by a hatch. Upon opening of this are the locks towards the bottom.
Westley Richards still makes guns with this system and also makes excellent double-barreled
rifles. They have recently been to a new building in Birmingham moved wherever an
impressive range of clothing being offered.

De Bishop of Bond Street

JAMES WOODWARD

James Woodward started as an apprentice at Charles Moore, probably around 1827. A
dozen years later, he moved up to head finisher, and in 1844 he became a full partner
of Moore. The company moved to 64 St. James's Street under the name Moore & Woodward.
Around 1851 only remained Woodward over and in 1872, the two sons of James Woodward
in the management and the name was changed to James Woodward & Sons. In 1900 died
the younger James and the firm was continued by a nephew, Charles Woodward. In 1937
they moved again, this time to 37 Bury Street, which however suffered heavy bomb
damage in World War II and Woodward found temporary shelter at Atkin, Grant & Lang
until the necessary repairs were carried out. Woodward is best known for his design
of Over & Under, which together with the Boss design to the top of this type of shotgun
is counted. Woodward did not have a big factory and had to make his actions by the
company Hills, and also the running and locks were purchased from outside, but had
to meet very strict requirements. Woodward gave only first quality shotguns and bascule
has a very recognizable shape. The company was sold to Purdey in 1948 when threatened
bankruptcy.